(Kinda) free speech
: The EU Charter of Fundamental Rights was just released and already we’re seeing legislative gymnastics in the member countries.
Britain is looking to pass a law protecting the privacy of celebrities and they say they’re doing it to comply with the EU. (More details here.)
Now on the one hand, you might say, good: Who needs gossip?
But on the other hand, such a law could then be used to prevent reporters from, for example, tracking down the lavish lifestyles of politicians or of Enron and Worldcom executives. I’ll be it would have prevented half the reporting about Bill Clinton’s sex life.
There’s no such thing as almost free speech or an almost free press, for then someone in power gets to decide what part is free and what part isn’t and thus nothing is assured to be free.
Slippery, this slope./
